1. Field
The present disclosure is generally related to diagnosing a failure condition of an image processing apparatus, and, in particular, to a system and method for remotely diagnosing a failure condition in an image path of an image processing apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
Output devices, such as multi-function printers or devices (MFDs), are becoming quite complex and deal with sophisticated concurrent operations. During use, such as when outputting image data via a print job or copy job, such a device may encounter problems when outputting a page or document. When a device fails in the field, i.e., at a customer site or location, it is can be hard to diagnose a problem by observing at the fault codes issued by the device which may be associated with the problem. Typically, fault codes indicate where a problem was first identified, but do not necessarily indicate the chain of events or job activities that may have lead to the failure or problem. Currently, for problems that cannot be easily diagnosed using fault codes, a Customer Service Engineer (CSE) is sent to the customer site to fix the problem. The CSE may then through a series of diagnostic patterns using the devices of the MFD (e.g., the scanner, controller, or marking engine) to hopefully isolate the problem in the associated area of the image path. Depending on the problem, this method could require an significant amount of time (e.g., two to eight hours) to isolate and fix the issue. This not only costs a lot of money and time for a service provider or supplier to spend on servicing their products, but may cost the customer time and money, thus resulting in an unsatisfactory experience for the customer.
Generally, having a CSE shut down a device for extended period of time makes the machine unusable for any other purpose, which can also upset a customer. For example, if a printing related problem is diagnosed, a device could be used for scanning. However, for current methods, while a machine is waiting to be serviced and during such servicing, none of its functions are typically enabled, and then no operation can be performed on the device during the duration of the problem.